Let due process reign

There is no alternative to upholding the Rule of Law and the majority of citizens are likely to wholeheartedly support President Mahinda Rajapaksa's initiative of ordering a full-scale and immediate probe into the killing of two Red Cross volunteers recently.

It is also likely to be the wish of the majority that the killers would be brought to justice forthwith, with no delays whatsoever. This is as important as launching the probe immediately. By meeting these requirements the State would be impressing on one and all that the Rule of Law is flourishing in Sri Lanka.

There is no escaping the need to enforce the due process of law. This is central to the perpetuation of an orderly, law-abiding society as well as the upholding of civilizational norms. In the absence of due process, a society lapses into barbarism and lawlessness.

Therefore, President Rajapaksa could not have done better than to order an immediate probe on the killing of the Red Cross workers. He must now ensure that the investigation is result-oriented. The killers must be arrested and brought to justice - this would be an acid test of the vibrancy of the Rule of Law.

We are given to understand that the registration number of the van in which the slain workers were abducted is known. This is an invaluable find and should give the authorities some clue as to who is implicated in the murders. We call for a relentless search for the killers.

Ever since the LTTE proved recalcitrant and moved away from the CFA, law and order problems have multiplied in this country.

The State has had no choice but to ensure national security and safeguard lives and property. It is all too obvious that there are forces which are operating outside the bounds of the law which are bent on exploiting these tensions. Some such forces may be even intent on embarrassing the State.

Therefore, there is no escaping the need for strong law enforcement. The message needs to be sent out by the State that violence and bloodshed would in no way be tolerated. It also needs to be demonstrated that retaliatory violence of any kind would not be put up with.

That said, the time is ripe for a dynamic fostering of communal brotherhood and amity. We need to think in terms of establishing a society which is permanently caring and harmonious. We have a number of Ministers of Nation-Building. This is their hour.

We fervently hope that the institutions and mechanisms would soon be in place of the establishment of a truly inclusive polity where amity and brotherhood would predominate. Let hatred be a thing of the past.